Gas lighter assembly



:'Sept.' 15, 1970 s. H. NEWMAN GAS LIGHTER ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1968 s". i-LNEWMN GAS LIGHTER ASSEMBLY Sept; 1 5, 1970 Filed July 19, 19.68 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 19, 1968 Sept. 15, 1970 s. H. NEWMAN 3,528,759

GAS LIGHTER ASSEMBLY Filed July 19, 1968 5 sheets-sheet -4 F il ZLM- 26% Sept l5, 1970 s. H. NEWMAN 3,528,759

GAS LIGHTER ASSEMBLY 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed July 19, 1968 United States Patent O 3,528,759 GAS LIGHTER ASSEMBLY Stanley H. Newman, Schwartz & Frohlich, 19 E. 70th St., New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed .Iuly 19, 1968, Ser. No. 746,147 Claims priority, appliclaltiozrli1 France, July 28, 1967,

U.S. Cl. 431-129 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention involves a cigarette lighter of the gas type wherein a construction is provided which permits the flint holder to be accurately positioned by means of a spring member which has a constricted opening in it to accept and hold in place the flint holder so that it is properly positioned with respect to the sparkwheel and also providing a fulcrurn for a valve lifter, all being accomplished without the necessity of soldering or welding the flint holder in place and providing a separate member for the liint holder fulcrum.

The present invention relates to gas lighters generally and, more specifically to gas lighters of the single action type having a top assembly, including a snuler cap and a sparkwheel mechanism, which is secured to the main body portion of the lighter.

Lighters of the type to which this invention relates are generally formed of three main elements: an outer housing; a fuel tank in the housing having a fuel valve and burner; and a top assembly comprising a frame, or platform, which carries a ngerpiece, a snuifer cap and a control mechanism including a valve lifter, a flint holder, a sparkwheel, and a return spring for the fingerpiece. Lighters of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,943,- 471, issued on July 5, 1960.

Customarily, in lighters of this type, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,943,471, the top assembly is secured to the main body of the lighter by a rear latch and by a U shaped spring attached to the top assembly at its forward end. The spring engages the forward inner case wall of the main body to provide a friction grip engagement. Also, in lighters of this type the flint holder is formed integrally with, or is separately welded or soldered, to the platform of the top assembly. Such forming of the flint holder is obviously an expensive operation and one which must be performed with care.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simplied gas lighter of the type described in which the top assembly of the lighter can be easily and economically secured rigidly, yet removably, to the body of the lighter by a simple steel spring member which also holds the ilint holder in place.

Another object is to provide an easy assembly, in lighters of this type, whereby the flint holder can be aligned in position with the sparkwheel.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for accurately positioning the burner valve with reepect to the valve lifter.

Furthermore, another object is to provide a simplified spring unit which accomplishes all of the above objects in one element.

In accordance with the teachings and objects of this invention, the locking of the top assembly on the main body portion of the lighter assembly herein disclosed is elected by a tab on the rear of top assembly which cooperates with a corresponding opening located in the lighter housing and by a spring member which is housed in the front of the top assembly.

The spring 4member used in this lighter consists of a pressure spring of special shape connected along with the flint holder to the bottom of the platform of the top assembly. The conventional need to weld or solder the flint holder to the platform of the top assembly is obviated by this arrangement. In assembling the lighter, the pressure spring is pressed against the body of the expansion valve to secure the top assembly to the tank by friction. At the same time the spring member effects the assembling of the top assembly and lighter housing by urging a tab of the top assembly into engagement with an opening in the housing.

In one advantageous embodiment, the spring member consists of a sheet metal blade having a plan view substantially in the shape of a U. Each arm of the blade has a stamping along its innr edge, in the vicinity of the end of the arm, which protrudes on one face of the blade and a stamping along its outer edge, in the vicinity of the base of the U, which protrudes: on the opposite face. The base of the U has a cutout, also of U shape, having cutout arms which are parallel to the arms of the blade as a whole.

Also, located in the base of the blade is a substantially oval cutout which is connected to the outer edge of the base by a longitudinal slit. On opposite sides of this slit are stampings which protrude on the same face as the stampings along the outer edge on each arm of the U shaped blade. Furthermore, the blade is bent at an obtuse angle approximately at the position where the arms of the U shaped cutout are located. The blade is concave as viewed from the side of the blade where the rst mentioned end stampings protrude.

From the accompanying drawings and the description herein, the above objects and other advantages of the present invention will be obvious. However, it is to be understood that the illustrated embodiment and its description is for the purpose of illustration and for enlightenment of those skilled in the art. Other ways of carrying out the present invention will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art and such will be within the scope of the claims appended hereafter to this specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial central vertical section through the assembly of the lighter along the line -I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the lighter along the line II-II of FIG. 1, not showing for the sake of greater clarity the burner, Valve lifter, the sparkwheel, the lliintholder spring, and the ingerpiece, with its pin and spring;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of half of the top assembly showing the platform of the mechanism-bearing top assembly, the flint holder, the dint-pushing lever, including its spring, and the spring unit;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the spring unit;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sections along the lines V--V and VI-VI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of FIG. 1 showing the interrelationship of the mechanism-bearing platform, the int holder, the spring member, and the lighter housing.

From FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be noted that the lighter is composed of three main parts, namely an outer housing 1, a liquiied gas tank 2, and a mechanism-bearing top assembly designated as a whole as 5. The liquied gas tank 2 is provided with an expansion valve 3 which permits the gas to emerge upon the raising of the head 4 of a burner valve in a manner which does not form part of the invention.

The top assembly is composed of three main parts,

3 namely a platform, or frame, 6, a fingerpiece 7, and a snuffer cap 8.

The platform 6, Vas shown in FIG. 3, is composed of two parallel vertical flanges 6a connected at their lower part at a bottom 6b. At the top the platform 6 has two lugs 6c each provided with a hole 9 to accept a pin to provide for the rotatable mounting of a sparkwheel 10. The flanges 6a are as a whole, in the shape of a U whose base 6d terminates in a horizontal tab 11 which projects away from the base and which is intended to cooperate with an opening 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 7') in the housing 1. In front of the lugs 6c there are two horizontal supporting lugs 13 and two downward directed vertical extensions 6e. Each flange 6a of the platform is furthermore provided with a hole 14 for a pivot pin 15 (see FIG. 2) of the push member 7 and also with a hole 16 for a pivot pin 17 of a flint-pushing lever 18.

The fingerpiece 7 is of a known type, and its shape is best shown in FIG. 1. It comprises two lateral walls, each provided with a hole 19 for the passage of the pivot pin 15. As viewed from the inside of the lighter, the fingerpiece is of U shaped section and the free ends of the arms of the U each have a cutout 20 above which there are two spurs 21 which are directed towards each other to enable them to drive the snuffer cap 8 and the sparkwheel Returning now to the platform 6, it can be seen from FIGS. l, 2, and 3 that the bottom 6b is split at its center at 22 and has, towards one end, two substantially semicircular recesses 22a dened by tongs 6]" (see FIG. 2) to receive a tube type flint holder 23 (see FIG. l) which is assembled with the bottom 6b in a manner described further below. Each side of the opening 22 is bent at a right angle in an upward direction at 24 over a certain length to form two lugs provided with holes 25 for the passage of the pin 17 of the flint pusher 18 (see FIG. 1).

The flint holder 23 is cylindrical on the outside with a flat portion 23a slit at its center to provide for the passage of the end of flint pushing lever 18, and it has a groove 23b limited at its upper part by flange 23e. This groove serves to fasten the flint holder 23 in the cutout 22a in the bottom 6b of the platform 6 and makes it possible to lock a spring member 26 (to be further described below) around the flint holder 23 between the flange 23C `and the bottom 6b to secure the flint holder in place and to connect the spring member 26 to the bottom 6b.

As shown in FIG. l, the flint pushing lever 18, under the action of a spring 27 which acts upon both the fingerpiece 7 and the lever 18, `urges the fingerpiece 7 towards :its rest position and pivots in the direction indicated by the arrow F around its pivot pin 17 to apply a flint 28, contained in the flint holder 23, against the sparkwheel 10.

The Valve lifter 29 has a circular opening 30 which allows it to be placed over the flint tube 23. The opening 30 of lever 29 is extended by a slit 30a which allows for the passage of the flint pushing lever 18 when it presses against a very worn flint. Furthermore, the lever 29 is forked at its end 31 so as to surround the rod of the burner below the head `4 to enable it, when it pivots, to raise the head.

The characteristic element of the lighter, in accordance with the invention, is the aforementioned spring member 26 which assures the locking of the top assembly and housing of the lighter on the side opposite the tab 11 and the opening 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 7). This spring member is a sheet metal blade designated generally as 26, which has the shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 7.

The spring member 26 has a forked end 26a having at the ends of the fork two slight stampings 2617 and, at the base of the fork, stampings 26C. As well, the spring 26 has a base portion 26d which has two cutouts 32 and 33 which together define a bridge 26e. Also, the cutout 32, along with curved edge 261', defines a bridge having a tongue 26,1. The end 26g of the spring member 26 is located beyond the cutout 33 and is slit at 34 along the longitudinal axis of the spring member. On both sides of this slit 34` are stampings 26h.

The connection of the arms 26a (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the fork is effected by a curve connecting portion 261' with a restricted passageway. The spring member A26 is curved approximately at the location of the tongue 26]c at an obtuse angle, to enable it to come in contact with the body of the valve 3 and to be compressed by the latter when the lighter is assembled. The compressed spring produces a suflicient friction `grip to immobilize the adjacent part of the top assembly while the tab 11 is pushed completely into opening 12. The cutouts 32 and 33 provide the spring member 26 with the desired elasticity, and the stampings 26h (the production of which are facilitated by the slit 34) form a slight boss which increases the protrusion of the spring member and, at the same time, reduces the surface contacting the valve body 3.

The spring member 26, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 7, rigidly secures the flint holder 23 against the bottom 6b of the platform 6. This fastening is provided by cutout 261' which defines a restrictive portion and which is housed along with the platform in the groove 23b of the flint holder, cutout 32 whose edges 32a (in closed position) clamp the sides of the tongues 6f of the platform (see FIG. 7), and, finally, by stampings 26h housed in recesses 35 (see FIG. 2) in the bottom 6b of the platform 6. These stampings, furthermore, provide for, and also assure, the precise positioning of the spring member. The stampings 26C, serve as pivots for the valve lever 29. Furthermore, the platform 6 advantageously has other lightening recesses 36 (see FIGS. l to 3) which also facilitate mounting operations by permitting tools to pass.

In order to mount the mechanism-holding top assembly 5, the flint holder 23, the platform 6 and the spring member 26 are first assembled. The flint pushing lever 18 and its pin 17 are then placed on the platform. Spring 27, fingerpiece 7, and its pin 15 are then put into position. Finally after having engaged the spurs 21 of the fingerpiece 7 with a ramp associated with the snuffer cap 8, the sparkwheel 10 is mounted below the snuffer cap 8 by connecting it to the lugs 6c of the platform by introducing a pin through the hole of the sparkwheel and through the holes 9 in lugs 6c (see FIG. 3).

It is to be understood that the embodiment described and shown has been given solely by way of example and can undergo various modifications without going beyond the spirit of the invention. Also it shall be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette lighter of the type using liquifed gas for fuel and including a housing having latch means, a tank mounted in said housing and having an expansion valve and burner combination, and a top assembly including latch means, a platform, a fingerpiece, a valve lifter, a sparkwheel and a flint holder, the improvement comprising a spring member borne in the forward portion of the top assembly and associated with the platform to secure the flint holder of the top assembly in position with respect to the sparkwheel and to act in cooperation with said latch means in said top assembly and said housing to secure the top assembly to the housing of the lighter.

2. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said top assembly contains a snuffer cap.

3. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member also positions said expansion valve with respect to a valve lifter.

4. In a cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said latch means of said top assembly is a tab and said latch means of said housing is an opening and wherein said spring member borne in the forward portion of the top assembly urges the tab of said top assembly in engagement with the opening of said housing.

5. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member is a sheetmetal blade.

6. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member contains an opening dening edges which frictionally engage said int holder.

7. A spring member as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member has stampings raised from the surface thereof and adapted to act as a fulcrum for the valve lifter whereby said valve lifter may be deflected to engage the expansion valve and burner combination to open the expansion valve.

8. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member is bifurcated having spaced apart arms defining a passageway adapted to receive the int holder, said passageway having a restrictive portion to engage the flint holder and to urge it into fixed engagement with the spring member in the area of the passageway away from the open end on the passageway.

9. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 1 wherein said spring member is a sheetmetal blade having a plan view in substantially the shape of a. U, each arm of said U having a stamping along its inner edge protruding on one face of the blade at the end of the arm adapted to be housed in recesses provided in the platform and a stamping along its outer edge protruding on the opposite face at the base of the U, adapted to serve as pivots for the valve lifter, said base having two cutouts, said iirst cutout being of U shape and having cutout arms which are parallel to those of the base as a whole, said second cutout being substantially oval and being connected to the outer edge of said base by a longitudinal slit, said cutouts to provide the spring with elasticity', stampings in the blade along both sides of the slit and protruding on the same face as the stamping along the outer edge of said arms of said blade, to increase the protrusion of the spring mernber, said blade being bent at an obtuse angle approximately at the place where the arms of said U join with said base, said blade being concave as viewed from the side of the blade where the first mentioned end stampings protrude.

10. A cigarette lighter of the type using liquitied gas for fuel having a housing and a top assembly containing a flint holder, a sparkwheel and a spring member, wherein said spring member secures said flint holder with respect to said sparkwheel and provides a friction grip adaptable to cooperate with a latch to secure said top assembly to said frame.

11. A cigarette lighter as described in claim 9 wherein the flint holder is in press-fit in an opening in said spring member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,943,471 7/1960 Newman 431-139 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,168,144 4/ 1964 Germany.

EDWARD G. FAVORS, Primary Examiner Us. c1. XR. 431-254, 277 

